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Happy Halloween – Screams

Several people suggested the new Netflix series “The Haunting of Hill House” to me and I finally got up enough courage to watch it. Well, two episodes so far. One of the things I noticed, other than it being very well-done and scary, is that there are a lot of screaming ghosts in this show. All of the ghosts I’ve ever met have been fairly quiet. They might have made sounds when they were walking upstairs when everyone else was downstairs, or they might have asked a question in a perfectly normal voice, or they might have even hummed – but none of them screamed. I think I would find that very disturbing, even more disturbing than having a ghost in your house. So, I thought, on this special Halloween version of Freaky Friday, I’d look into ghosts that not only go bump in the night, they shout about it!

This is from Reddit and it’s entitled, aptly enough, “I heard screaming at a haunted mansion last night.” “Although I have never had a “paranormal” experience in my life until now, I have always believed there are things about this world and the spiritual realm that no mortal will ever fully understand.

I started dating this girl who has told me about many encounters she’s had with ghosts or demons throughout her life. And keep in mind, this is a normal, stable, perfectly well-adjusted woman.

Near where I live is a vacant Gilded-Age mega-mansion. Many people, including scholars, have claimed to see the ghost of the original owner haunting the mansion. The original owner killed himself in the home many, many decades ago. I have been on the property many times, not because I wanted to see ghosts, but because researching historical architecture is a huge hobby of mine. I have never had any weird experiences here, aside from seeing weird, large spiders.

Last night this girl and I went onto the property in complete darkness just for a fun little spooky time. Everything seemed normal for a while. But then I heard screaming.

At first, it was faint. I thought maybe a neighbor’s kid was playing outside or something. But I kept hearing it. I thought maybe it was some sort of animal, but no animal in the world sounds like that. It sounded like a woman screaming at the top of her lungs, but like she was also panicking, not just trying to be loud- like she just witnessed a murder or something. And the screaming wouldn’t stop. It was constant and slowly started sounding closer, though it sounded far like it was coming from the other side of the mansion.

We both heard it and decided to leave right then. As soon as we left the driveway I stopped driving to see if I could hear it still, but then it had stopped and all I could hear was noisy night critters.

I asked what she thought, and she said she’s not surprised we heard that. This stuff sort of consistently shows up around her and she’s experienced far more terrifying things. I was pretty shaken up for the rest of the night though.

Is horrific screaming something commonly heard at haunted locations? As far as I know, it was only the original owner, a man, who killed himself there. I’m not aware of any other tragedies that happened there. I’m not sure why I heard a woman screaming in particular. Other unconfirmed sightings people have claimed to witness on the property are seeing the owner’s servants and lights rapidly flickering on and off. Any thoughts?”

Um, yes, weird, large spiders. Duh!

Okay, if a mansion with screams isn’t big enough for you, how about an entire wood? KentLive news shares information about Pluckley, the most haunted village in Kent, and the neighboring Screaming Woods.

“Halloween could not be allowed to pass without reference to Pluckley – said to be the most haunted village in England.

The village, just outside of Ashford, boasts a phantom headmaster, a dying highwayman, a “flickering light” and a Victorian lady. Towards Smarden lie the Screaming Woods, in which it is said blood-curdling shrieks and wails are commonly heard. In 1989, the Guinness World Records named Pluckley as the most haunted village in the country, with 12 apparitions.

It is said that sounds of knocking can be heard in St Nicholas’ church at night, sometimes a flickering light can also be seen. It has been said that the light belongs to Lady Dering, who was buried in three lead coffins to try and prevent her decay. A red lady is said to search the graveyard for her stillborn baby, while a white lady has been seen within the church.

Named after the lady, Dering Woods is situated just outside Pluckley and is also said to be haunted. Nicknamed the Screaming Woods, the screams are said to be those of the men and women who came to their end after becoming lost among the trees.

At Rose Court, a Tudor Lady believed to be the mistress to a member of the Dering family who took her own life after eating poisonous berries is apparently heard calling her for her dogs between 4 pm and 5 pm.

A ghostly re-enactment of the battle between an unknown Highwayman and lawmen has been spotted at Fright (Frith) Corner. The highwayman was killed, pinned to an oak tree with a sword.

And a watercress lady is said to haunt Pinnock Bridge, where she accidentally set herself on fire. Legend has it that she burned to death having fallen asleep whilst smoking her pipe.

Even the Black Horse pub is said to have more spirits than those in the optics, with an invisible hand which moves items on the bar and sometimes hides purses and tidies mess, and disembodied screaming. Here, there have been multiple instances of articles (normally clothing) vanishing on a regular basis, only to be replaced in much the same position sometimes years later. The poltergeist responsible is believed to be a woman called Jessie Brooks who has also been seen wandering, looking for a child she had lost.

The Blacksmith’s Arms is also a spooky haunt. Previously called The Spectre’s Arms and The Ghost’s Arms, three ghosts are said to reside here – a Tudor maid, a coachman, and a Cavalier.

The Dering Arms was once a hunting lodge, but here at the pub, the ghost of an old lady is said to be seen sitting in the bar in Victorian dress, so clear that punters are said to have mistaken her for a real customer.

An accident at The Brickworks resulted in the death of a laborer, crushed by a falling wall of clay. Screams have been frequently heard in the area and are said to those of the deceased laborer. At the former Mill site, the dark, ghostly figure of Miller Richard ‘Dicky’ Buss has been seen at the site of his windmill, usually prior to a thunderstorm. The windmill was destroyed by fire after being struck by lightning in 1939.

At Maltman’s Hill, sounds and visions of horse-drawn coach are said to haunt the area with two apparitions in recent times.

There is also a bush, it is said, which can be used to summon the Devil by dancing around it and saying a spell – although no one knows where it is.

Greystones, which was previously known as Rectory Cottage, is said to host a phantom monk, although no sightings have been reported by residents since the name change.

At Elvey Farm, a phantom walker is said to frequent the farmhouse, now a hotel. There have also been reports of a haunting smell, that of burning yarn or wool.

Little Chart Church in the village has also had its fair share of hauntings. St Mary The Virgin and Holy Rood, as it was originally called, was built by the Normans in the 11th century next to ”the screaming woods.”

Many visitors described a beautiful yet eerie feel to the church, however on August 16, 1944, it took on a whole new existence. This was when a Doodlebug was flying overhead and dropped a bomb on the village, with St Mary’s taking the brunt of the damage.

With only the damaged tower and parts of the chancel wall surviving, the bells were removed and stored. In 1955 a new church was built nearer the village. Fortunately, no one was killed, but that has not stopped the site from becoming a ghosts hunters paradise.”

I’m thinking you’d have to be a little plucky to spend the night in Pluckley.

Finally, let’s talk about some screaming that will chill you to the bone. This is from Reddit and it’s called “Babysitting in a haunted house.”

“Back in 2012, I was a senior in high school. One time, I babysat the infant son of a couple who were close family friends.

I put the baby down to bed early, probably 8 o’clock or so. He slept upstairs while I chilled downstairs in the living room watching TV with the baby monitor nearby. The parents said they’d be back around midnight.

At around 11 o’clock, I heard the baby screaming through the baby monitor. And I don’t mean crying, I mean screaming. I worked at a daycare all through high school, and even to this day, I have never heard a baby scream like this. It didn’t sound like he was upset or crying for food or a diaper change. The scream made the hairs on my arms and the back of my neck stand up (even as I type this now) as if my instincts could pick up on some kind of primal terror inflected within.

I ran up the stairs, opened the door of the baby’s room and turned on the lights. He was there, standing in the crib holding himself up on the rail with one hand. His other hand was pointing at the closet. Still screaming. I picked him up, and he calmed down a bit as I patted him on the back.

I brought him downstairs with me, as his parents were going to be home within the hour. I didn’t have the courage to check the closet. I’m not ashamed to say it freaked me out as it was just me and this baby in the house.

The parents arrived home around midnight as they had said. There was some confusion/frustration as to why the baby was still awake with me downstairs. When they questioned me about this, I told them what had happened. I thought I’d sound like an idiot and was kind of worrying about how I’d explain it leading up to their arrival.

However, when I said what happened, the mother’s expression dropped. She shook her head and welled up, obviously distraught, and took her son upstairs without a word. Weird, because remember these are family friends, we were usually on good terms. The father apologized on her behalf, and for what I had experienced. He shared that his wife had been seeing the ghost of a civil war soldier standing at the foot of their bed. He had never seen it, but he knew her fear was real and that they didn’t know how to explain it.

I never experienced anything paranormal myself that night. However, I have never seen anyone react with such palpable fear and distress for seemingly no reason ever since. The way the baby screamed, the way the mother’s demeanor immediately changed when I said what happened, are what still give me the creeps.

I wanted to share this story with all of you as it’s the only “paranormal” encounter I’ve ever experienced, and I’d love to hear your thoughts.”

Screaming is creepy enough, but an infant screaming in fear brings it to a totally different level of frightening. I hope they figured something out, or that baby is going to end up like the family in the Haunting of Hill House.

Happy Halloween!!!!

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